Baffled
by lavenderlush
Summary: [COMPLETE] Hyuuga Natsume finally realizes his feelings for a certain brunette. Find out how he tries to win her over.. and failing each time! Well, not every time.... Keep those reviews coming! NatsumexMikan
1. Are You Pulling My Leg?

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! _I don't like lurkers._ Please:D I need them for my improvement, thank you very much!**

**GHOST READERS! Please please _please_ review! I'm reluctant to update unless more people drop a note or two. _Okay?_ Thanks! **

**A/N: **Well! Back for another GA fic! Hope you guys would like it! And while you guys are waiting for the next chapters (Hopefully ), please read my other fic, **"The Pact between Two Friends"**. I really hope you guys would like it very much! Well then.. Off to the story!

**Summary: **Hyuuga Natsume finally realizes his feelings for a certain brunette. Find out how he tries to win her over.. and failing each time! Well, not everytime... Keep those reviews coming! NatsumexMikan

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**Baffled**

**Chapter 1: Are You Pulling My Leg?**

Hyuuga Natsume faced an emotionless Imai Hotaru. He avoided her gaze which seemed to drill holes in him. He looked down and shuffled his feet back and forth slightly.

_Geez, this girl can sure intimidate a guy, _he thought grimly.

"Well?", she said frostily.

He tried with all his might to keep his face completely blank and muttered, "Well, what?"

"_When_ AND _how_ are you going to tell her", she questioned in her same icy-toned voice.

He let out an exasperated sigh and mumbled, "I don't know.."

"Well, you better know soon, idiot", came Hotaru's flat voice. "And you better do it properly _'cause you know perfectly well what will happen_", she threatened, patting her baka gun in a sinister way.

_Geez, Hotaru!_

"Alright, already!", he glared at her.

She glared right back at him, then patted her baka gun again a final time. She turned on her heels and suddenly disappeared.

Natsume blinked. _How weird can that girl get? Must be another one of her crazy inventions._

OOO

Hotaru appeared somewhere else within the academy grounds, turned to the audience and said:

_Invention no. 00767: teleportation heels. With a single tap of your heels, you can disappear to wherever you may choose. You just have to program it in the mini laptop that comes with it. Kind of like a modern version of Dorothy's silver shoes (Wizard of Oz, idiot, she added, rolling her eyes). Order your own now! Only 150 rabbits._

A few people stopped and stared. _Who's she talking to, anyway? _They raised their eyebrows, shook their heads and went on their ways.

OOO

The very girl that occupied Hyuuga Natsume's mentality was skipping along the sakura trees of the academy. Unknown to her, something very bad was about to befall her. Err..

"OUCH!", she cried then fell flat on her butt.

"Watch where you're going, blueberries!" _(A reference to my other fic At that time, Mikan's undies were printed with blueberries XD)_

Mikan rubbed her bottom and looked up to the very annoyed _(and fine-looking )_ face of Natsume.

"I'm very sorry, Natsume-kun! I didn't notice you were there at all!"

"Whatever, little girl". he muttered. Hesitating, he held out a hand to help her get up.

Mikan stopped rubbing her bottom and stared at his hand, bewildered. She glanced at his face, his hand, then back to his face.

_Huh? Did someone swap personalities with Natsume just this minute? _She looked up again at Natsume, looking absolutely baffled.

Natsume noticed her expression and turned red. "Well, little girl? Gonna take it or not?", he said, almost brusquely.

Mikan then smiled cheerfully, and said, "Thank you very much, Natsume!" She said this with such a bright voice that Natsume couldn't help but blush madly.

"Whatever, ugly. Next time, watch it!". And with that, he walked off with his usual stride.

Mikan looked at his retreating figure and smiled a bit uncertainly. _Well, this certainly has been a weird afternoon._

OOO

Natsume slouched to the room of class B, ignored Sumire's overeager face then greeted his best friend, Ruka. And with that, dropped to his seat and read his usual shonen manga.

_How the hell am I supposed to tell her now, _he thought long and hard, releasing so much heat that Ruka and his bunny began to sweat profusely.

_Why is it so hot today, _Ruka thought uncomfortably. _Last time I checked, it was a bit cold this morning. _

He glanced at Natsume, who had this look of sheer concentration and noticed that it was _him_ that was giving off heat.

_Natsume, _he thought a bit nervously. He quietly took his bunny and crept away, hoping that Natsume wouldn't notice at all.

"GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!", came Mikan's cheery greeting!

And you can guess what happened when Mikan tried to hug Hotaru.

Splat! Mikan fell like a water bomb onto the floor. (Ooh, this is different! Water bomb! He he he..)

"Oh, Mikan", Yuu-chan shook his head.

Mikan caught sight of Ruka and Natsume. "Good morning, Ruka-pyon!"

Ruka turned to her and greeted warmly, "Good morning, Sakura-san". Then she went and patted the bunny on its head twice.

She looked in Natsume's direction and said, "Good morning, Natsume! It's a nice day!", she added smiling.

"Good morning.. uhh.. Mikan."

The whole class froze. It's as if somebody pressed the 'mute' button on the remote control 'cause everyone suddenly stopped speaking. A modern version of silent movies. Everyone was still moving a bit but nobody said even a single word.

Sumire's mouth dropped open and stared at Natsume in shock. Oh yeah, she was shocked, alright. _Shocked to the core._

Ruka was surprised too, that he didn't notice that his bunny rabbit had hopped off.

Yuu-chan's glasses fell off but he didn't bother to pick them up.

Even Hotaru was a bit surprised. Her latest invention crashed to the floor but she didn't even notice!

Koko-chan _(I want to call him Koko-chan! It's cute!) _had obviously read Natsume's mind and was now grinning widely.

Mikan _(sigh) _being herself didn't even seem to notice the other people's reactions and continued being cheerful.

Natsume did, however. "Well? What's the problem?", he glared at all of them.

They all quickly averted their gaze and the classroom resumed its usual chatter.

Hotaru went over and pulled Mikan with her. "Okay, spill", she said tonelessly.

Oblivious, Mikan asked, "Huh?" She looked confused. "I didn't spill anything", she said stupidly.

Hotaru looked at her face more closely, sighed, and told her what happened moments before.

Mikan looked lost and asked, "So? What's wrong? Oh.. I get it! Natsume was just pulling my leg! Darn that Natsume", she scowled.

It was _Hotaru _who scowled _back_ at her. _It's no use talking some sense into this idiot. _And with that, she treated Mikan to another one of her specialty punches.

**A/N:** So what do you guys think of it? Please review! If you liked it, please say so. If you hated it, please.. uhh.. say so in a nice way Thank you very much! Chapter 2 would soon be up _if I get enough reviews! _Thanks!


	2. How Do You Guys Do It Again?

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**A/N: **Thank you for all the reviews! Especially to (purple and pink dreams) I guess I wanted people to stop thinking that's he's such a cold-blooded person He's only human, after all. :P

**Chapter 2: How Do You Guys Do It Again?**

Natsume stared out of the window at the full moon, lost in thought.

_How the hell am I supposed to tell that idiot, _he wondered, running his hands through his hair in exasperation.

_And without losing my pride in the process, _he added silently. He stood up, walked to his desk and tried writing a note. _A love letter, _a voice in the back of his mind said teasingly. _For your girlfriend!_

_Shut up, moron, _he thought irritated.

_I am you so I guess you're a moron, too, _the voice cackled evilly.

Natsume ignored him this time and proceeded in writing down the letter. After about an hour, the pile of crumpled pieces of paper in his trash can was beginning to grow larger and larger. He finally cracked, banged his head on the table and let out a string of curses.

_Damn it, _he thought angrily. _Why is this so hard?_

And with that, he reduced all of the paper he used into ashes.

He flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.

_I got it! _He smiled a bit and drifted off to sleep, thinking that it could wait 'til morning.

OOO

Natsume strode to the door of class B and crashed the door open. A few people jumped up in surprise and Natsume gave them a few nasty glares in return.

He gave Ruka a nod of acknowledgement and settled in his seat. He propped up his feet on the table and read his usual shounen manga. But unknown to Ruka, his mind was hard at work.

_Who do I ask, _he thought, fighting to keep calm._ More importantly, how do I ask?_

He just sat there, brooding.

Meanwhile, Ruka thought, _Natsume is at it, again! It's boiling in here. _He tugged at the neck of his polo and gulped.

Natsume clenched his fist and fought to keep his racing heart calm. _I have to do this. Now. If I don't, I won't have the strength to do it some other time!_

_Hotaru, Yuu, Ruka, Otonashi and Kokoroyomi. Piece of cake. Except for Imai, that is, _he thought bleakly. _I'll save Imai for later, _he finally decided.

_Please don't let her catch me, _he prayed. _(Her, meaning Mikan ;D) _Finally, he gathered up his courage and approached Yuu.

"Hey, Yuu, can we talk for a while", he said finally, averting his eyes.

Yuu-chan looked surprised but smiled and agreed. Natsume led him over to a corner of the classroom and took a deep breath. Yuu-chan looked at him patiently, waiting for him to say something.

"Listen.."

"Uhh.. Well, you see..", he trailed off.

"Yes, Natsume?", Yuu-chan looked at him questioningly.

"It's about.. about.. Mikan", Natsume finally choked out, turning redder by the minute.

If Yuu-chan was surprised, he didn't show it. "I see.." He waited for Natsume to go on but it seems as if Natsume lost his voice _(and was looking for it ha ha ha )._

Finally, Yuu-chan spoke up, "I get it now, Natsume", he smiled at him. "If you want to tell Mikan, just be yourself. Tell her like you mean it. And in you own retarded way", he teased a bit. "I'm sure she would appreciate it", he assured him.

Natsume gulped and nodded.

Yuu-chan grinned knowingly. "Well, I have to get back to work now. And.. Good luck with that".

He was about to return to his seat when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Natsume was looking down, with his bangs covering his eyes.

Yuu-chan looked surprised, smiled and said gently, "Don't worry. I'm not telling on you".

Natsume nodded and said something under his breath that vaguely sounded like _'thanks'_.

And with that, the subject was dropped.

OOO

Natsume was back on his seat, planning his next move carefully. _I could ask him, but how? I never felt uncomfortable discussing something with Ruka. Knowing him, he probably knows something's up with me, _he thought, a small smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. _Well, I better get to it._

Ruka was relieved that Natsume wasn't giving off so much heat anymore 'cause his bunny wasn't acting all fidgety now. He looked up and saw Natsume gazing at him, with such a serious look on his face.

"Hey.. uhm.. Ruka?"

"What's up with you, Natsume?"

"Well.. uhm.. It's about..", he trailed off, not trusting his voice to continue.

Ruka looked at him critically for a few moments before saying something. "It's Mikan, right?", he finally said.

Natsume looked surprised but nodded a little. "How'd.. How'd you know?", he asked in a low voice.

Ruka laughed and said, "Well, I noticed that for the past few days, you did nothing but gawk at a certain brunette, right before our teacher comes in", he said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

He rendered Natsume speechless.

"All I can say is try to treat her nicely, for once. For starters, you can stop teasing her and _'perverting' _her, as she would put it", he grinned at him. "And two, stop calling her _'idiot' _and_ 'stupid' _AND _'little girl''_. Or worse,_ 'polka dots' _or _'polka-dotted panties girl', _he teased.

Natsume glared at him but Ruka just grinned more widely at him.

He clapped him on the back and whispered, "Go for it, Natsume! You might never have another chance. Confess before she falls for another person. You _know_ who I'm talking about", he added.

And with that, he went over to Hotaru to argue with her some more about her, taking unauthorized and embarrassing pictures of him.

Natsume sat down again and mentally thanked Ruka. _Thanks, Ruka. Reliable as always._

_Now.. Kokoroyomi and Otonashi.._

OOO

Natsume wasted no time in talking to Kokoroyomi and Otonashi.

With a bit of difficulty, he told Koko-chan _(I wanna call him Koko-chan! XD) _the situation. Koko-chan beamed at him and said, "I knew about it all along".

Natsume was about to scowl at him but stopped. He replied in a strangled voice, "Y-You knew all about it already? How come you didn't say anything about it?"

Koko-chan just shrugged and said, "It's because it's your business. And I know you wouldn't want it blabbed to the whole school. Your fan club might start a riot", he added, grinning wickedly.

Natsume looked at him piercingly for a second before saying "Thanks..", quietly.

Koko-chan grinned once again and said, "What I can do for you is to read her mind whenever you make a move. That okay?"

Natsume just nodded, not capable of speaking.

Koko-chan stood up, put his hand on Natsume's shoulder reassuringly then walked away.

He exhaled sharply. _This really is a difficult job, _he thought grimly._ Three down, two more to go._

OOO

_Hey, wait a minute. _He stopped in his tracks and froze. _Where the hell is she? That idiot._

He glanced to the front of the classroom and noticed that the substitute teacher was there, writing history terms on the blackboard with tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, someone chucked a _huge_ eraser at the back of his head and he cried even more. He smirked, trying hard not to chuckle.

_Okay.. Next: Otonashi,_ he thought determinedly. _God, help me. I'd need strength dealing with this.. uhh.. interesting girl. Interesting, right. _

He pasted a blank look on his face and went over to the girl.

**A/N: **Well, guys? What do you think? Was it too boring? Or silly? Please review! XD


	3. Tell Me What Do You See?

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**A/N:** I wanted to include Otonashi in this fic. I think she's sort of cool, even if she _is_ a peculiar little girl On with the next chapter! Read and review, _please! grins _Again, sorry if it's not my best work. But do review, alright?

**Chapter 3: Tell Me.. What Do You See?**

Natsume was getting worried about Mikan. _Where the hell is that idio-I mean, where is she, _stopping himself in time. _If I'm going to be nice to her, I better start with my thoughts, _he thought grimly.

_I'd look for her, after I asked Otonashi for help,_ he promised himself.

He eyed the eccentric girl and grimaced._ I can't believe I'm doing this, _he groaned grumpily to himself. _Better get this done with. _And with that, he strode off to Otonashi's table.

"Hey, Otonashi", he mumbled.

Unfortunately, the girl didn't even seem to notice him because she was busy humming strange sounds.

"Hmmm.. Aaa-um.. Aaa-um.. Hmmm..", she rumbled, with her index fingers to her temple. Well, unfortunately for _her_, Natsume was beginning to get seriously irritated.

Natsume sighed, leveled his face with hers, conjured up a small flame in his hand and waved it fast in front of her face.

Her eyes shot open and stifled a small scream. She looked a bit irritated because her little meditation was spoiled but her expression changed from irritation to wonder when she saw Natsume's face.

"Huh..? Natsume..?", she looked gobsmacked, as Natsume never talked to her before. "What is it..?"

He drummed his fingers on her table before speaking. "I need your.. help", he said in a quiet voice so no one would hear.

"Well, then. How may I help you", she said, raising her left eyebrow, curiously.

"No wait. Mmmm.. Mmmm.. Mmmm..", her eyes snapped open in surprise and she stared at Natsume.

"Well then.. I guess you know already", he mumbled, looking anywhere but her face.

"I must admit, I'm really surprised", Otonashi said in a hushed voice.

There was silence between the two of them but she finally spoke up again, "I'm sorry.. I can't help you. Whenever I try to look into her future, nothing comes up at all. Even _your_ future which should supposedly include her. I'm shocked because it's the first time ever my alice failed."

"Because of her.. nullification alice?", he asked, finally getting the picture.

Otonashi just nodded. "But I _will_ try again. Maybe I'll catch her when her defenses are down".

Natsume nodded in return and gave her a small _'thanks'_. He had his back turned already when he spoke up again, "You know, girl? You're alright". And with that, he left.

OOO

_Okay, where's that stupid lit-I mean, Mikan, _he thought beginning to feel a little worried. He walked quickly but quietly to her dorm room. He was tempted to blast the door open but resisted.

_Be nice. Be nice.. Remember, _he reminded himself. He raised his hand and knocked twice.

No answer.

He sighed and knocked again. Still no answer. _What? What the hell is she doing now? _He then opened the door but found no one inside.

_Oh yeah.. She must have detention with Jinno. Must have been late this morning and was caught. It figures,_ he thought, chuckling a bit to himself. _I'll look for her later. _And with that, he slammed the door shut again.

_(Natsume doesn't add -sensei to the names of his teachers. Ha ha ha)_

OOO

Mikan was skipping down the hallways, looking happy. _Finally! Escaped from Jinno-sensei, the monster, at last! _Unknown to her, she was about to bump into the person who was looking for her just a few minutes ago.

"OUCH!", she yelped and was about to fall down flat in the face when someone took hold of her upper arm and hoisted her up. "N-N-Natsume?"

"Yeah, polk-Mikan", he faltered, stopping himself _again_, just in time. "Where were you?", he questioned, trying very hard not to look really concerned.

_Mikan then noticed her hands were on his chest and she turned red at that. Natsume noticed, and he too, blushed crimson. He resisted the urge to pull her closer and lose himself in those chocolate pools of hers. He clenched his fist and focused, waiting for her answer._

Mikan blinked at him but said, "Detention".

"Again, huh? Well, see ya around".

Mikan stared at his back, feeling weirded out. _What's up with him today, _she wondered, brain working very hard. _(If this is even possible :P)_

OOO

_I have to talk to Hotaru. Now,_ Natsume thought firmly.

He entered the classroom quietly, hoping no one would notice him come in. Sorry to say, Sumire did. She squealed and tried to hug him but he ducked just in time. She ended up flat against the wall and looked absolutely tearful.

"NATSUM--", she began but he blocked out her voice. He strode off to Hotaru's table and stared down at her working, until she finally looked up at him.

"What is it?", she said blankly.

"I-I need to talk to you", Natsume said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. She nodded, motioning him to go on.

"Well.. You.. You see.. It's about..", he wavered. He swallowed hard.

Hotaru looked bored and said, "Mikan, right?"

He looked a bit stunned but gave a little nod as a_ 'yes'_.

"So you finally came to me for help, huh? I thought days ago that you were Mr. Too-Cool-For-Help".

Hotaru resumed working and said, not looking up, "I suggest you just give her something nice. No more fancy things, like taking her out to expensive dates and the like. You know how Mikan is. She loves cute and other silly things". She then looked up and stared at him sharply. She jabbed her finger into his chest and said threateningly, "Do it properly or else".

He just glowered at her and strode off. Meanwhile, his mind was working hard. _Starting tomorrow, I'd be nice to her. But not that sugary nice or I'll throw up. Or maybe she'll throw up._

**A/N:** Well? What do you guys think? Was it too boring? I know it's not my best work but I'm trying trying and trying! P**LEASE REVIEW!****THANKS!** XD


	4. Strike!

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**A/N:** Tell me if I should continue this or not, alright? Read and review, please! Thanks!

**Chapter 4: Strike!**

It was another bright day for a certain russet-haired girl. She pranced around the academy, ooh-ing and aah-ing at every tree, flower and bird she saw. It was supposed to be a great day for her when she tripped, yet again.

And guess who was at the scene? A certain raven-haired boy of course!

The boy, unable to resist, called out, "Pineapples today, huh? What's the theme this week? Hawaiian?", he smirked at her.

The girl stood there, red in the face and quaking in anger. **"NA---TSU---ME!" **And a distant volcano exploded. Animals in the Northern Forest fled and birds took flight in terror. She began throwing things at him but he ducked and dodged every blow.

"You're such a pervert! Pervert pervert pervert!", she screamed at him, outraged.

The boy's eyebrows shot up and said, "Geez. It's just your underwear".

Instead of calming down the girl, he just successfully infuriated her more than ever. She stared daggers at him and went away in a huff.

He was still smirking, when he suddenly realized something.

_Oh no.., _he thought, faltering. He sat down under his favorite sakura tree and buried his face into his hands._ Be nice to her, huh? Well, that's what exactly I did today, _he thought sarcastically. He rolled over and groaned out loud.

OOO

_That Natsume,_ Mikan thought furiously. _I hate hate haaaate him! _She continued on her way to Hotaru's room when someone came up behind her.

The stranger tried to hug her but she was such in a foul mood that she had better ideas for him. Without looking at him, she grabbed his upper arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ouch!", Natsume moaned out loud. "What's the big idea?"

Mikan's look of surprise was soon replaced with one of contempt. "Serves you right, pervert!", she yelled. And with that, she hurriedly opened Hotaru's room and banged it shut.

_Oh man,_ Natsume groaned inwardly. He pounded the floor with his fist. _Talk about a strike out! I guess I have to come up with better ideas, _he thought weakly. _The power of a pissed-off girl never ceases to amaze me._

OOO

Natsume was about to doze off in his seat when the door opened. Mikan.

She went over to greet Hotaru and the usual happened. _She never learns, huh, _he mused, a smile threatening to appear on his lips.

"Morning, Ruka-pyon!", she gave him a bright smile. Natsume felt his stomach turn and jealousy gnawed at the pit of his stomach.

"Good morning, Sakura-san", Ruka greeted her, smiling.

_Don't I get a greeting, too, _he found himself thinking. _H-Huh? Where did that come from, _he thought, furiously. _It doesn't matter, anyway. It's not that I care or anything.., _he thought, roughly.

_Yeah, right, Natsume--chan, _a voice guffawed in his head.

"...orning, Natsume-kun", a voice broke into his thoughts.

"W-What?", he looked sort of fazed.

"I said good morning!", she said, rolling her eyes but laughing. "You looked out of this world, Natsume-kun. Where were you?", she giggled.

Natsume felt his face going hot but he managed to say, "Nowhere". He tried to focus on the shounen manga he was reading, as to not embarrass himself further.

Mikan shrugged and went back to her seat.

Words magically appeared on the blackboard and it read:

_Answer pages 765-767 of your history book._

_If caught not doing it, detention with me for a whole week._

**Jinno-sensei**

"U-waaaa!", Mikan wailed out loud. "Detention with Jinno-sensei for a whole week? You gotta be kidding me!" She went to Hotaru, looking frantic. "Oh Hotaru, please help me! I don't understand our lesson at all!", she cried out.

Hotaru said coldly, "Do it yourself. How would _you_ learn?"

Her cries were heard around the classroom but nobody paid attention to her, as they were all used to it already.

_Should I help her now,_ Natsume asked himself.

_Alright._

_Now._

He was about to speak out when someone beat him to it.

"I'll help you if you want, Sakura-san", Ruka said gently.

Mikan rushed to his side and hugged his right arm tightly. She looked at him gratefully and said, "Thank you very much, Ruka-pyon! That's so nice of you", her eyes sparkling.

Ruka blushed at this, but luckily, Natsume didn't see him.

Natsume was watching all this and he resisted the urge to groan out loud and burn Sumire's hair, which was in his peripheral vision. He almost ripped his manga into pieces because of frustration.

_Am I the unluckiest guy or what? Strike two again, _he thought, halfheartedly.

OOO

Mikan was somewhere in the academy grounds with Hotaru and Yuu-chan, trying hard to improve her alice. Since Mr. Nouda was nowhere to be seen again, she was forced to train by herself. _(Hotaru and Yuu-chan weren't much help XP)_

Hotaru sighs and Yuu-chan sweat drops as Mikan failed for the nth time.

"Now.. nullify!", Mikan yelled.

Silence.

"Nullify!", she yelled, yet again.

Hotaru and Yuu-chan glanced at each other and sighed. _This is gonna be a long afternoon._

OOO

A certain boy happened to pass by and saw her training and trying really hard to improve her alice.

He took a deep breath and thought, _Now, I really am gonna help her. No strings attached. _He was about to make his way to her when he froze.

_Wait a minute.. W-Wha..?_ He couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot. _Hey.. I know this feeling.. Andou! _He whipped around angrily and saw him smirking at him.

"Well, well, Natsume. Planning something, are we?", he wiggled his eyebrows at him.

Natsume glared at him with pure hatred in his eyes but Tsubasa simply stared back at him.

"If you're planning to tease Mikan or make her cry _or_ both, this isn't your lucky day". And with that, he left him standing there, with Natsume resisting the temptation to burn his jacket.

He heard him greet Mikan and get a squeal of delight in return. "Tsubasa-senpai!", her eyes sparkling and she jumped up and down happily.

"What's up with you today, Mikan?", he asked her, looking quizzically at her costume, which was a kimono for karate _(I think it IS called a kimono I took up karate for a year as an extracurricular activity )._

"Well.. I was trying desperately hard to finally be able to control my alice properly. Since Mr. Nouda is nowhere to be seen _again_, I'm training by myself"".

"I see..", Tsubasa said, looking thoughtful. He then smiled and said, "Why don't you come with me? Harada-san and I would be happy to help".

"Really? You'd do that for me, Tsubasa-senpai?", her eyes shining gratefully.

Tsubasa sweatdrops at her overeager voice and takes a step back. "Well.. We _will_ try", giving her a reassuring smile.

"Yay! Thank you so much!"

They left together without Mikan noticing Natsume standing there. Natsume was still frozen to the spot before he finally decided to stay under that sakura tree.

_I never win. Why is that,_ he thought grumpily. _Damn that Andou guy._

**A/N:** To those people who are wondering why Natsume's name is divided like this: Na-tsu-me. As far as I know, that is correct. Kind of like Tokyo. It should be like this: To-kyo, not To-kyo.

Anyway, please review! Tell me if it sucked alright? But please, go easy on me! XD


	5. Promise You'll Stay?

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**A/N:** Well.. I guess this would be the last chapter! Please **read** and **review**! Thank you very much! XP

**_Oh, and another thing:_** I think this is gonna suck.. Oh well.. Still hope some people would like it!** I KNOW IT'S SILLY!** **But I just _had_ to write it down! Silly, silly me! **_(makes silly face)_

_It's not my best work but I'll post it anyway. Silly silly silly._**  
**

**Chapter 5: Promise You'll Stay?**

Natsume threw a ball in the air and caught it. He threw it again and due to his frustration, he reduced it to ashes.

_Will I ever get a chance to tell her? Maybe I'm not supposed to tell her, anyway, considering the things that happened. _

_Maybe it's a message saying it won't work out anyway._

He sighed and rolled over his bed.

_I'd give it one last try and if it blows up in my face, I give up, _he thought, feeling exhausted physically and mentally.

_Going after a girl who thinks you hate her is hard work, _he thought glumly.

OOO

Natsume woke up, feeling determined more than ever. _All I have to do is put that plan into action. _He gathered a few pieces of paper and began writing. He glanced at the package he bought in Central Town. _Hope this works.._

OOO

Mikan pranced into the classroom and did the usual routine. After being hit by Hotaru, helped by Yuu-chan and greeted by Ruka-pyon, she went to her seat.

A certain bird happened to catch her eye. It was tapping furiously at the window and she went over to open it. The dove landed on her shoulders and on its feet, a note was tied. Mikan quickly untied the note from its leg and saw a..

Picture of a fountain.

_Huh? This is the fountain in front of the elementary school building. _She stared at it for a few moments before thinking, _I guess I'll have to go there. But I don't really know what I'll see. Am I supposed to look for something, _she wondered.

She shrugged and went back to her seat. Ruka glanced sideways at her and grinned. _Hope this works, Natsume._

OOO

Mikan hurried out of the room as soon as classes were done. _To the fountain, it is! _She ran out of the building and to the fountain. She knelt on the ground trying to catch her breath._ I guess I'm out of exercise, _she thought sheepishly.

_Anyway.. _She circled the fountain until she saw a piece of paper wedged between the bricks. She pried it out, careful not to rip the paper. She opened it and stared. _A fireplace, this time? Which fireplace is it, anyway? The school must have hundreds of these,_ she cried to herself.

_Wait a minute.. The person drew a big cozy chair, too.. And I think I saw one like it in the.._

"Library!", she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. She turned on her heel and quickly ran up the three flights of stairs. She burst into the room, getting a nasty glare from the librarian in the process. She hurried to the fireplace, but to her dismay, it looked untouched. She looked closely at the fireplace when she saw a small piece of paper taped to the bottom corner. She squinted at it and removed it. Opening it, she saw a picture of a..

_Book? What kind of book? There are thousands and thousands of books in the library! _

She looked more closely at the drawing and saw something small scribbled at the center of the drawing. She couldn't make out the words but she happened to read the word _'raven'._

She quickly went to the library computer and punched in _'raven'_. Three entries appeared.

- Ravens in Europe

- Ravens: Types And What They Eat

But a certain title caught her eye. _'The Prince and The Raven' _Her eyebrows shot up but she shrugged. _It's worth a try. _She asked the librarian for help and when she had the book in her arms, she settled on a chair and flipped through the pages.

_I guess I'm looking for another drawing._ She paused when something fell out. _I wonder what drawing thi--Wait. This isn't a drawing. Something's written here! Finally, that person got tired of drawing, _she thought wryly.

She looked at it and was surprised. _'Go to the tree where your instincts take you'_

_Huh? Tree.. All I can think of is the tree where Nats--Huh? _She shook her head violently to get rid of those thoughts. She turned red just by saying his name in her head.

_Why the hell am I thinking of that pervert, _she thought, still blushing furiously. _Well, whatever._

She jumped up and returned the book to its place. Then she just stood there mulling things over. _The sakura tree, huh? It's worth a shot._

She took her time going to the tree and was hesitant to get any closer. _Am I at the right place? Is it possible that..? Nah. _

_**Natsume plus Mikan equals to.. not gonna happen at all!**_

_You like him, don't you,_ a voice whispered in her ear. _Even if he is mean to you, you're still attracted to him. Am I right or AM I RIGHT? _A soft laugh rang in her ears.

"No, of course not", she said out loud. "Not gonna happen!"

She approached the tree cautiously and circled around it. Nothing here but a pile of leaves. She stared at it, lost in thought. _Maybe I'm at the wrong place. _She was about to leave when he heard a rustling.

She stared.

And stared.

Buried under the leaves was a big fuzzy bear with a red ribbon around its neck. It had fallen to its side and in its hands was the final note. It read:

_This is for you. Since I'm not really an expert when it comes to these things,_

_I bought this bear and hoped for the best._

_I'm sorry for.. You know._

_- N_

Mikan looked at the note, with tears welling up in her eyes. She hugged the bear tight and stood there for a few minutes, still unable to believe what was happening.

_Natsume.._

She turned and ran, looking for the boy who gave her the bear, which she would treasure forever.

After about an hour of running and searching, she was already exhausted._ Where is he, _she thought frantically._ I looked everywhere! Everywhere! Everywhere but.. our classroom._

_Duh!_ She smacked herself on the forehead. She hurried to the room and opened the door quickly. Her eyes scanned the room until her eyes focused on a certain person: Hyuuga Natsume.

Natsume caught her eye and his eyes widened when he saw her clutching the bear tightly in her hands. He covered his face with his manga and was aware that Mikan was slowly making her ways towards him.

Hotaru, Yuu-chan, Ruka, Koko-chan and Otonashi were now watching them intently. The rest of the class noticed them and followed their gaze.

"Hey.. Natsume?", Mikan said softly.

By this time, Ruka-pyon and Koko-chan were grinning widely.

Yuu-chan and Otonashi were both smiling while Hotaru's face remained blank but there was something in her eyes that vaguely looked like.. affection?

"Natsume..?" Mikan was getting a tinny bit impatient so she grasped Natsume's arm and pulled him up gently. She put her hands on his shoulders and forced him to look at her eyes.

Sumire was looking murderous and was about to charge at Mikan when Koko-chan threw a book at her face and she fell down, stars twinkling above her head._ (I love youu, Koko-chan )_

"What..?", Natsume was trying with all his might not to look at those beautiful russet eyes of hers.

"Was the bear from you?", she asked gently.

The class held their breath, waiting for his answer.

Mikan was looking at him expectantly and he finally answered, "Yes.."

She smiled at this and asked, "Well, why?"

"Why what?", he asked back, stalling for time. She rolled her eyes at him but smiled.

"Oh.. oh alright", he said, throwing up his hands. He put them back in his pockets and stared at the blackboard behind Mikan.

"You see.. You see.. I-I.."

"Spit it out already, Natsume!", the class yelled.

And spit it out, he did. "I like you, Mikan!", he blurted out. And immediately, he went red at this.

Silence. _(You could hear a pin drop at this kind of silence )_

Finally, Mikan smiled. She joked, "Well, you certainly have a funny way of showing it", she grinned. She stepped closer to him and whispered, "I like you, too, Natsume.." But the whole class heard anyway.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer for a hug. With that, the whole class applauded.

Natsume was stunned. _Is this even for real? She.. she likes me, too,_ he thought in disbelief.

The he noticed her arms around him. He felt his face growing hotter and hotter by the second. He hesitated, but only for a second, and he hugged her back awkwardly. She pulled him closer to him and was encouraged by her response.

Suddenly, his pride was the last thing on his mind. He didn't care if the whole school would whisper and whisper behind his back tomorrow morning. All he cared about was the person he liked for so long shared the same feelings. He hugged her tighter this time.

He then heard her murmur, "Promise you'll stay, Natsume?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The whole class applauded even louder and didn't notice Jinno-sensei, about to come in. He stopped in his tracks and took in the scene before him.

_Hyuuga-san and.. Sakura-san? _He maintained his strict face but managed a little chuckle. _Interesting. _Not wanting to disturb the two, he went back to the teachers' room and postponed the class.

Hotaru and Yuu-chan glanced at each other and smiled. Ruka was still watching the two and let out a whistle, imitating a wolf.

Otonashi went back to her seat and started meditating. She concentrated for a few moments before smiling._ I see something good waiting to happen, _managing a small smile.

Koko-chan grinned when he read Mikan's mind.

_I guess this one's for keeps, Natsume._ He grinned ridiculously again.

Meanwhile, Mikan sat beside Natsume, smiling with content written all over her face. He was trying hard to read his shounen manga again when he felt her hand loop through his and squeeze it warmly. He smiled behind his manga and returned the gesture.

_Who knows what will happen next? _

**A/N:** Done! Please review! If you like it.. say so in a review. If you didn't like it.. say so in a review, also! But go easy on me, please? Reviewssssss!

Oh yeah.. 'The Prince and the Raven' is from Princess Tutu, a strange and beautiful anime that I also like.


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